Most Shared Stories Tagged: Ariel Sharon

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fought in the country's war of independence and was one of the dominant figures in Israel's history. So why did so few people show up to pay their respects when his coffin was on display this weekend? Reporter Daniel Estrin has some possible reasons.

Israelis laid its former prime minister Ariel Sharon to rest on Monday. The military commander-turned-politician stunned Israelis by making a political turnaround in 2005 and pulling thousands of Jewish settlers out of the Gaza Strip. To some, though, the move was totally in line with his focus on the country's security.

Ariel Sharon was a giant of Israeli culture for many years. On Sunday, he finally died — after spending eight years in a coma. Israel cartoonist Amos Biderman loved Sharon, loved drawing him to be exact.

The rare closing of Jerusalem's Temple Mount — or Noble Sanctuary to Muslims — lasted only a day. But anger over the closure and the shooting of a Palestinian suspecting of killing a Jewish activist became a "day of rage," with Palestinians scuffling with Israeli security forces in the city and across the West Bank.